[kunwar.g]

As I reply this. I am in Jaisalmer. Came via Bikaner today after a night halt at Bikaner. Route to Bikaner is very good. Bikaner to Jaisalmer is awesome if done at daytime as it's all 2 way.

2 FastTag tolls from Gurgaon to Bikaner (khirkidaula toll not included) + 4 state tolls so pay cash only. Bikaner to Jaisalmer 4 -5 tolls and all fasttags .

Delhi to Bikaner via Jaipur bypass is best route. Among the 3 routes by Google. Took the one in Blue basis feedback of an acquaintance who shuttles between Bikaner and Gurgaon regularly, and is from Bikaner.

Return trip will be via Jodhpur - Jaipur. 1 day stay at both places.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by kunwar.g

As I reply this. I am in Jaisalmer. Came via Bikaner today after a night halt at Bikaner. Route to Bikaner is very good. Bikaner to Jaisalmer is awesome if done at daytime as it's all 2 way.

Heard this was very good. Jaisalmer-Phalodi is very good and its the common section to Jodhpur if you plan to go to via Osian (temple visit) instead of Dechu. (If you did not visit the temples at Ramdevra and Osian)

Return trip will be via Jodhpur - Jaipur. 1 day stay at both places.

For the Jodhpur-Jaipur section, the route via Jaitaran to Beawar had lots of construction between Jodhpur to Jaitaran. Dont know how it has improved over the year.

[sheelz]

Originally Posted by kunwar.g

As I reply this. I am in Jaisalmer. Came via Bikaner today after a night halt at Bikaner. Route to Bikaner is very good. Bikaner to Jaisalmer is awesome if done at daytime as it's all 2 way.

2 FastTag tolls from Gurgaon to Bikaner (khirkidaula toll not included) + 4 state tolls so pay cash only. Bikaner to Jaisalmer 4 -5 tolls and all fasttags .

Delhi to Bikaner via Jaipur bypass is best route. Among the 3 routes by Google. Took the one in Blue basis feedback of an acquaintance who shuttles between Bikaner and Gurgaon regularly, and is from Bikaner.

Return trip will be via Jodhpur - Jaipur. 1 day stay at both places.

Thanks for the tip mate. How much time did you take to reach Bikaner from Delhi?

I'm also planning to do the jodhpur Ajmer route on return. Basically for Ajmer Sharif. Planning to reach Ajmer in I've go.

Thanks again.

[kunwar.g]

Originally Posted by sheelz

Thanks for the tip mate. How much time did you take to reach Bikaner from Delhi?

I'm also planning to do the jodhpur Ajmer route on return. Basically for Ajmer Sharif. Planning to reach Ajmer in I've go.

Thanks again.

Here are the details. I am leaving for Jodhpur tomorrow morning. From there will leave for Jaipur.. 1 day stay at each place.

[SJM1214]

We are planning a 3night/4day trip to Rajasthan covering Udaipur, Chittorgarh, and Kumbhalgarh by own car. Here is a tentative itinerary. Please suggest, is it doable?

Day1: Reach Udaipur at 0900. Sightseeing and night stay at Udaipur
Day2: Drive to Chittorgarh. Sightseeing and night stay at Chittorgarh.
Day3: Drive to Kumbhalgarh. Sightseeing and night stay at Kumbhalgarh
Day4: Drive back to Home Town.

[amit_3306]

What is the situation in Gujrat and Rajasthan due to CAA protest? Will it be safe to travel during next week?

[Ashwin Morey]

Originally Posted by amit_3306

Hi Road Gurus,

I am planning my Rajasthan road trip from 23rd Dec. Below is the day wise schedule.

Experts please suggest if this would be ok do considering we are two couples with 2.5yr and 5 yr daughters. I will be travelling in XUV500 from Pune and plan to travel in daylight as much as possible.

Day 1: 24 Dec
Pune- Mumbai- Vadodara/Ahmedabad ( 660km)
Starting at 2 pm from Mumbai

Day 2: 25 Dec
Vadodara/Ahmedabad- Udaipur (350km)
via Halol- Godhra- Shamlaji

Day 3- Udaipur

I did this same route on 21st Dec, except that I did on the same day. So I started from Pune at 6.00am and reached my hotel in Udaipur by 10.30pm.

From Mumbai till Halol, it was NH48 and though the road is in excellent condition, the traffic is irritating. It’s not crowded or it’s not that the roads are narrow, it’s the people. Trucks drive on all 3 lanes and there are times when you are behind 3 trucks for like 5-7mins. The entire stretch you have to drive zig zag and keep changing lanes. Bikes on the roads, vehicles coming from wrong side are a constant throughout. I thought Maharashtra road manners were the worst but Gujarat is even worse!

After Halol or near about, google takes you to state highway 5 which is so much better. It is 2 lanes on one side and though it has its shares of problems but for the most part you get thinly populated roads.

Godhra stretch is heavy density and though google shows it is taking you through godhra bypass, there isn’t much in it because the town has extended there as well.

After Modasa, about 50kms later, you rejoin NH48 and this time it is different. When I reached there it was 7.30pm and there wasn’t much traffic. Also the road is still being made and there are traffic diversion after every 5 mins. But even then, by far this is the best stretch. They are making it like the expressway so the road is huge and butter smooth. When I was on state highway google was showing that I will reach my destination by 11.30 but thanks to this stretch I was able to make 1 full hour and reach by 10.30pm. CAUTION: traffic diversions keep coming up, the entire stretch right up to Udaipur is not lighted and there are no lane markings so though you can drive fast but these things can be dangerous.

I was traveling with my family so wife and 2 kids - 10yrs and 7yrs. So you got to figure the extra stops (I had as many as 5). There is no dearth of petrol pumps and places to eat.

Also no impact of CAA or any such issues.

Hope this helps!

[GP19]

Originally Posted by ampere

On the whole looks OK. But if you plan to visit Ranakpur, Haldighati, Sreenathji and Ek Lingji, you will more time in Udaipur apart from city visit.

Maybe on the way back you can plan to visit one of these places (in case you want to visit). Else should be good. Place and lake takes most of a day given the crowd.

Thanks , we will definitely visit the some places you mentioned. My wife and me want to keep this trip little relaxed especially after the long drives.

[amit_3306]

Hi,

I returned from my Rajasthan vacation yesterday completing Pune- Ahmedabad- Udaipur-Jodhpur- Jaisalmer-Ahmedabad-Pune circuit.

my bit of contribution on the road conditions.

1. Pune-Ahmedabad: Road is good throughout as usual but faced lot of heavy truck traffic till Vadodara ( Start of NE1). Started Pune by 5 am and reached Ahmedabad by 5 pm with lunch and two bio breaks.

2. Ahmedabad- Udaipur: Normally this stretch would take less time but NHAI decided to bypass all villages on this road hence numerous diversions till Udaipur took me close to 6 hrs. Road conditions is still excellent even though there are multiple diversions.

3. Udaipur- Jodhpur: I did Kumbhalgarh on the way before connecting to the state highway to Jodhpur. Road condition is good with some bad patches but noting serious to crib.

4. Jodhpur- Jaisalmer : Excellent, smooth roads with less traffic till Jaisalmer. You can easily do higher average speeds.

5. Jaisalmer- Sam Sand dunes: Two laned road with good condition. Nothing to complain.

6. Jaisalmer- Barmer- Sanchore : Again excellent tarmac with good markings and minimal traffic till Sanchor.

7. Sanchore- Ahmedabad : Sanchor till Dhanera is worst road possible. They are making it four lane I guess and road is non existent with lot of construction work going on. Deesa to Dhanera is again good with connection to NH27 till Palanpur. Palanpur to Ahmedabad state highway is four laned but not to match with road quality of Gujrat. Faced lot of traffic on this road with occasional patchy road section.

NE1 from Ahmedabad to Vadodara failed to match expectation. It did not do justice to the name dream highway as advertised everywhere. Firstly it has huge truck traffic who doesnt budge to move from the rightmost lane. Plus both the lanes are occupied by trucker leaving little room to overtake them from left side which is very dangerous. I think it required additional lane like Pune- Mumbai expressway considered the increase in traffic in recent years.

[Ketan]

Hey Guys,

I'm planning to visit Barmer, Kirdau, Munabao, Khuri, Kuldhara, Desert National Park, and Jaisalmer during last week of January this year. The idea is to travel slow during this phase, see if I can camp on my way to some really beautiful places, under the starry sky in the Thar desert and take anywhere between 2-4 days to complete the route before I reach Jaisalmer. I need suggestions on safe places I can camp on my own with a roof-top tent on the car (M&M XUV, FWD) that I'm driving. We'll (wife, son and I)equipped with most basic things we need for camping and rely on road-side dhaba/homestays for food or packed food during these 2-4 days while we complete this route.Do you guys see any safety concerns if we camp slightly away from the village, around sand dunes, with a nice view, under the open sky? My FWD car may not ride far into the dunes and may be limited to areas close to roads or villages.

Do you think it's doable? Worth the experience? Any safety concerns that I should be aware of? I'll try to stay close to villages/dhabas (may be rare on this route) as long as possible if I don’t feel safe camping close to road-side.
Thanks in advance.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by Ketan

Do you think it's doable? Worth the experience? Any safety concerns that I should be aware of? I'll try to stay close to villages/dhabas (may be rare on this route) as long as possible if I don’t feel safe camping close to road-side.
Thanks in advance.

Currently there is no law in India which prohibits you from camping, except that it should not be on a private property without the permission from the owner.
Considering that it's just three of you and a kid (dont know the age), it can be a safety concern, although Rajasthan is a safe place. Besides this at certain places, villagers may not like this attitude of tourists and this can invite arguments. On the other hand local police may also not be friendly as it is actually indirectly affecting the hotel business.
If you are in a larger group, then it would be better.
Above are my suggestions. However experienced members here could guide you better.

[Ketan]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

Currently there is no law in India which prohibits you from camping, except that it should not be on a private property without the permission from the owner.
Considering that it's just three of you and a kid (dont know the age), it can be a safety concern, although Rajasthan is a safe place. Besides this at certain places, villagers may not like this attitude of tourists and this can invite arguments. On the other hand local police may also not be friendly as it is actually indirectly affecting the hotel business.
If you are in a larger group, then it would be better.
Above are my suggestions. However experienced members here could guide you better.

Thank you for your inputs, agree with what you are saying in terms of local mentality.
I'm going to keep that in mind. My son is 19y, I'd still be a bit concerned about camping away from the village/habitat, close to the village is where I shall try and talk to folks around and figure out if they are okay with me camping nearby.

[Engine_Roars]

Hello Team,

I need to drive to Jodhpur from Pune to pick up my Senior Citizen parents. I will be driving solo and intend to do this stretch over 2 days and with no driving at night, strictly. I have done this stretch a couple of times however that was pre-covid & along with my better half. I have a couple of questions/concerns. Any pointers would be of great help.

1. Good place to stay, after crossing Ahmedabad. - Safe, sanitized & with safe parking?
2. How to manage food? Packed food wont last for 2 days.
3. Car is now 7 years old & 55K driven, solely driven by me. Tyres & Battery changed last year. Anything to be worried about or to be checked?
4. I can drive over weekdays or weekend. Which of this would be better in terms of traffic, safety etc.
5. Any specific points to consider keeping in mind that I will have my senior citizen parents while driving back.

Thanks.
A

[cpabhijit]

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

Hello Team,

I need to drive to Jodhpur from Pune to pick up my Senior Citizen parents. I will be driving solo and intend to do this stretch over 2 days and with no driving at night, strictly. I have done this stretch a couple of times however that was pre-covid & along with my better half. I have a couple of questions/concerns. Any pointers would be of great help.

1. Good place to stay, after crossing Ahmedabad. - Safe, sanitized & with safe parking?
2. How to manage food? Packed food wont last for 2 days.
3. Car is now 7 years old & 55K driven, solely driven by me. Tyres & Battery changed last year. Anything to be worried about or to be checked?
4. I can drive over weekdays or weekend. Which of this would be better in terms of traffic, safety etc.
5. Any specific points to consider keeping in mind that I will have my senior citizen parents while driving back.

Thanks.
A

1. a. Mehsana - Hotel Highness (decent place, very good parking)
b. I saw a mention for Hotel Hind in Abu Road in some other thread
2. Best would be to get something packed from where you stay the night
4. AMD onwards till Jodhpur, traffic is sparse and consistent throughout the
week. Nothing to worry about.

[Shanksta]

Hi All,

I am planning a trip with friends to Rajasthan from 25th Dec 2020 till 03rd Jan 2021, provided the Covid-19 situation improves. The journey begins from Chennai.

I have a few questions and concerns:
* Do the state police frequently stop out of state vehicles for checking documents, etc , ?
* The circuit planned is Chennai -> Udaipur, Pushkar, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and back to Chennai.
* I see that most of these routes that are frequented are all good tarmac, is there anything in specific to keep in mind while driving in Rajasthan ?
* Any pointers on safe places to stay is welcome.
* I see there is no e-pass for traveling through/around Rajasthan. But are they insisting on a test ?

Answers to these and any additional information and suggestions would be much appreciated.